A simple and parsimonious model which originated from the Weibull frequency distribution was proposed to describe nonlinear survival curves of spores. This model was suitable for downward concavity curves (Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus), as well as for upward concavity curves (Clostridium botulinum). It was shown that traditional F values calculated from this new model were no longer add...

Bacillus pumilus NRS 576 harbored an estimated two copies per chromosome of a covalently closed, circular (CCC) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule, the 576 plasmid. The 576 plasmid has a buoyant density of 1.698 g/cm(3) and a molecular weight of about 28 x 10(6). Plasmid copy number remained about the same in both exponentially growing and stationary-phase cells. Spontaneous variants of NRS 5...

To evaluate the possibilities of using gamma irradiation for the sterilization of ointments, the effect of irradiation on spores of Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus sphaericus in dry material and in two different kinds of ointments was studied. The results indicate that for sterilization purposes irradiation was less effective in white petrolatum as compared to irradiation in the dry state. No suc...

Cyanide degrading nitrilases are noted for their potential to detoxify industrial wastewater contaminated with cyanide. However, such application would benefit from an improvement to characteristics such as their catalytic activity and stability. Following error-prone PCR for random mutagenesis, several cyanide dihydratase mutants from Bacillus pumilus were isolated based on improved catalysis....

This study was aimed at enhancing the production of xylanase from an alkaliphilic Bacillus pumilus VLK-1 in submerged fermentation using wheat bran, a cheap and abundantly available agro-residue, through process optimization and to monitor the effect of temperature shift operation on it. The potential of xylanase in saccharification of wheat straw was also investigated. The results showed that ...

New antibiotic pumilacidins A, B, C, D, E, F and G were isolated from the culture broth of a strain of Bacillus pumilus. They are cyclic acylheptapeptide composed of a beta-hydroxy fatty acid, two L-leucine, two D-leucine, L-glutamic acid, L-aspartic acid and L-isoleucine (or L-valine). Pumilacidin components were inhibitory to herpes simplex virus type 1 and H+, K(+)-ATPase and demonstrated an...

Efficiency of cellulase-free xylanases is one of the determining factors in paper and pulp industries. Use of microbes which can produce cellulase-free xylanases may help to overcome the current challenges in kraft pulp processing. Isolation and screening of microorganisms from local samples offers a possibility for obtaining the potential microbes for this purpose. This research was therefore ...